Lionel Messi's Heroics Save Inter Miami: Takeaways From Concacaf Champions Cup Victory vs. LAFC | OneFootball

A vintage Lionel Messi performance carried Inter Miami past LAFC and into the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals.

Inter Miami came into the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals down 0–1 on aggregate. Just nine minutes into the match at Chase Stadium, Aaron Long bagged an all-important away goal for LAFC, meaning the Herons now had to score three goals to advance to the semifinals.

Messi pulled one back for the hosts with a lethal left-footed strike from just inside the box, giving Hugo Lloris no chance at stopping the ball from crashing into the back of the net. Then, Noah Allen gave the hosts the 2–1 lead on the night, but the Herons still needed one more goal to advance in the competition.

Who else but Messi to step up when Inter Miami need him most? The Argentine buried Inter Miami's third goal from the spot in the 84th minute to eliminate LAFC 3–2 on aggregate.

Check out three takeaways from Inter Miami's thrilling comeback below.

Luis Suarez's Recent Slump Puts Too Much Pressure on Lionel Messi

As of late, it is starting to look like if Messi does not find the back of the net, Inter Miami will not score. In the Herons' last five matches, the Argentine has scored five of their eight goals. Luis Suárez, meanwhile, has scored zero.

Messi might be one of the greatest players of all time, but the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner can only do so much. His individual brilliance can bail out Inter Miami in close games, but when the Herons are coming from behind and need three goals like they did in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals, someone else must step up, like Allen did in the Herons' 3–1 victory.

Suárez, meanwhile, was once again held goalless. The Uruguayan finished last season with 25 goals across all competitions for the Herons, including seven in matches when Messi was injured. Inter Miami are desperate for the striker to rediscover his quality in the final third or else his side will not complete their silverware aspirations.

Slow Starts Are Becoming a Problem for Inter Miami

Inter Miami have now conceded first in four of their last five matches across all competitions. The Herons are particularly weak on the counter attack, especially without Sergio Busquets on the pitch, and they were once again caught lacking on a set piece.

Defensive struggles for the Herons are nothing new. The Eastern Conference side conceded 49 goals in MLS alone last season, lead the league in errors that resulted in an opponent's shot (26) and lost 330 tackles. Still, their scintillating attack that delivered 79 goals in the regular season and carried the team to the 2024 Supporters' Shield.

When Messi or Suárez cannot bail out their backline, though, Inter Miami's poor defensive structure is on full display and a worrying sight for a team that has MLS Cup aspirations. LAFC exposed just how easy it is to break down Inter Miami in transition. The pace of Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz combined with Inter Miami's high line was almost a recipe for disaster for the Herons.

The Herons Finally Get Over the Line in an Important Knockout Match

The Herons were staring down the barrel of a second consecutive elimination in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals. Last season, Monterrey eliminated the Herons 5–2 on aggregate across two legs and now, LAFC were 10 minutes away from also eliminating the Herons.

A defeat at Chase Stadium would have contributed to the conversation surrounding Inter Miami's failure to produce in must-win matches. After all, the Herons also suffered back-to-back defeats to Atlanta United in Round One of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs. After winning the first match in the best-of-three series, all the Herons had to do was secure one more victory over the ninth seed. Yet they could not.

Mascherano can now use this victory to instill more confidence in his team when it comes to elimination matches. If Inter Miami proved anything tonight, it is that they are always capable of producing a miraculous result as long as Messi is on the pitch.